Browse Education and Art Articles

It can be difficult to merge into the graphic design “fast lane.” The transition from student designer to a first career job can be terrifying. The feelings of being unprepared and/or overwhelmed are totally normal. As I spend time mentoring students at a college level, I have witnessed these emotions every semester. Put your fears aside. With some research and preparation, ...

Art schools teach you the fundamentals of art. Your curriculum probably covered art history, how it evolved from ancient times and how it has developed in recent years — the evolution of technology has guided art from canvas to computer screen. Art school also covered topics such as the elements of art (line, shape, color, etc.) and has given some training ...

Approach the On Ramp Following are some things to consider before you put your hands on the wheel. During this step in the process, you’ll do some industry and market research to better inform your job search process. 1. Do your homework Study the market you wish to live in. Determine whether you’d prefer to work for an agency or ...

Not since the revolutionary invention of Gutenberg’s printing press in the 15th century has a single technology so dramatically changed the future of education as the web. Just as movable type helped create a booming university culture in the late-middle ages, so too has the modern web created an educational paradigm shift. Not only has the web democratized education, it has ...

Taking what we learned in class to the real world. Oh I've been in your shoes. Getting class before you're late for the critique on those 20+ thumbnails you spent hours and hours doing the night before, er even morning of. Lugging around a stuffed binder of papers organized according to each deadline you've suffered through: highlighted internet research, thumbnails, rough ...

Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, and Francis Ford Coppola all had something in common besides a gift for storytelling and a distinctive cinematic vision: they all attended film school. While aspiring filmmakers can learn a lot just by watching the films of these men, they can learn even more about the business and various elements they’ll need to be successful in film ...

I wish they used Helvetica on my diploma — Friendly advice from a 3 month old graphic design graduate. It's here. That time when all those long, late nights of staring at that brightly lit computer screen, changing the leading, making sure the text didn't bleed off the page, checking if the images were in CMYK, and most importantly, consistently saving ...

So you want to go to art school? Getting an art degree can successfully turn your passion for art into a career. Not only do you get a well-rounded education and an opportunity to hone your artistic abilities, but an art degree stands out on your resume and boosts your chances of getting hired. So how do you get your foot ...

A group of Austin designers is helping students at a local high school recreate their campus. Designers, through training and experience, develop a different lens through which to see the world. They move through spaces, environments, and systems, making observations and developing insights about what works well and what doesn’t. They then use those observations and insights to create innovative solutions ...

Most of us, especially as freelance designers, come up with the challenge what types of gigs to go after. There are times when the jobs come rolling in and we don't really have time to differentiate between them. That can be a really good thing. But, there are also times when the jobs aren't rolling in so much and we have ...

How Much Education? You've graduated, been out of school for awhile, and have been working out in the world. Things seem to be going pretty well. Suddenly, some things have happened in the workplace, and the world, and you feel that something is missing. What is it? Do you feel that you still know all of the things you learned in ...

I recently came across a book that is all about graphic design for "non-designers". At first I was a little offended. How can there be such a book? Don't they know that we designers have to go to school for quite a while to learn the basics of design and how to apply these basics to our work? How can a ...

As graphic designers, many of our projects call for creative typographical solutions. How do we do this? How do we come up with the best type - typefaces and fonts - to make the project all come together? Let's talk about it. h4. The Definition First of all, let's talk about the difference between a typeface and a font. A typeface ...

I was speaking recently to a young artist who asked me to take a look at her webpage. Despite having had it professionally designed and having spent countless hours getting everything about it just right, she found that nothing was really happening for her – she had no leads and had made no connections that she could connect back to the ...

If you think about it, the term “artist” is a “one size fits all” sort of category that probably doesn’t really come close to describing who you are and what you do. Damien Hirst, who famously chopped up sharks and floated them in tanks with formaldehyde is an artist; someone who makes a living painting traditional portraits is also an artist. ...

What are graphic elements? We see them all the time and many of us have gone to school to understand what they are and what they're made up of. Do we all know the difference between graphic elements and graphic principles? It's always good to think about them and work with both of the disciplines to get our work and visual ...

Censor Art? Art has been around for a long time. Censorship has been around possibly just as long. Can the two intermingle? Can some art be deemed too inappropriate for some to see and thus censored? Who is it up to to even consider this? I have a few opinions on this. Art as Fine Art While art can be defined ...

It wasn’t that long ago that having a son or daughter who expressed interest in becoming an artist was considered a parent’s worst nightmare. But today, many parents are encouraging of their children’s interest in art. There are many options available to help nurture budding talent, but sending a young artist to expensive private lessons isn’t necessarily at the top of ...

For our final project, we had to design the front and back covers and inside spreads of a Chicago Public Art Guide: Loop. We had to provide the photographs ourselves (except for the Buckingham Fountain due to construction). The bodies of text and other information (material, dimensions, location, artist name & artwork name) was provided to us. It was hard to ...

While many people begin college right after high school without giving it a second thought, the question of when to start a graduate program can be tricky one. Choosing to commit to two years of intense study – not to mention expensive student loans – is a huge responsibility. How do you know you’re ready for graduate school? [widget:3597] I started ...